[Illustration: _Frontispiece_: THE MINERS' HALL, DURHAM] A HISTORY OF THE DURHAM MINERS' ASSOCIATION 1870-1904 BY ALDERMAN JOHN WILSON, J.P. _Corresponding Secretary to the Association, Chairman of Durham County Council, and Member of Parliament for Mid-Durham Division_ "A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct; The language plain, and incidents well link'd; Tell not as new what everybody knows, And, new or old, still hasten to a close." COWPER. Durham PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. H. VEITCH & SONS, 24 AND 25 NORTH ROAD 1907 _PRICE THREE SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE_ To MY COLLEAGUES THE MINERS OF DURHAM this outline of their associated history is respectfully dedicated by one who knows the hardships and dangers of their lives, who understands their character and esteems it, who has been with them in their struggles for freedom, equality, and a better life, whose greatest pride is that from early youth he has been (and still is) one of them, whose highest honour is that he is trusted by them to take part in the varied and important duties of their association, and whose hope is, that avenues of greater good may by their united and individual efforts be opened out to them. CONTENTS PAGE PREFATORY EXPLANATION xi THE PREPARATION 1 LAYING THE FOUNDATION 11 REARING THE BUILDING 16 THE LEADERS 37 OPPOSITION TO THE BUILDING 41 HISTORY 46 AFTER WORDS 336 CHANGES 337 IN MEMORIAM 346 AU REVOIR 350 APPENDIX I 355 " II 356 " III 358 INDEX 361 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS MINERS' HALL, DURHAM _Frontispiece_ N. WILKINSON _facing page_ 25 T. RAMSEY " 40 J. H. VEITCH " 43 THE FIRST DEPUTATION " 47 W. CRAWFORD, M.P. " 99 W. GOLIGHTLY " 105 J. FORMAN " 123 W. H. PATTERSON " 160 ALDERMAN J. WILSON, M.P. " 182 J. JOHNSON, M.P. " 217 T. H. CANN " 276 ALDERMAN W. HOUSE " 293 ALDERMAN S. GALBRAITH " 305 H. F. HEATH " 337 PREFATORY EXPLANATION It is necessary that I should set forth the reason why this attempt has been made to place on record, in a compact form, the rise and progress of our Association, with the changes which have taken place in our position. The inception lies in a letter received from one of our lodges, and addressed to the Executive Committee: